Macworld Expo Spotlights Humor

SAN FRANCISCO — Apple CEO Steve Jobs was the subject of some gentle ribbing here at Macworld Expo, the same show at which he and Apple launched numerous products over the years.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) made shockwaves among Mac fans last year when the company announced it would not participate in the iconic Apple-oriented event anymore.

Still, Jobs and company remained firmly in focus here today, as New York Times tech columnist, satirist and Apple fan David Pogue headlined a keynote session replete with inside jokes and even a few shots at archrival Microsoft.

For instance, Pogue — who’s been criticized at times as being too much of an Apple fanboy — bounded on stage, screaming and jumping up and down in an homage to Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and the executive’s famous “monkey dance” performed years ago at a Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) sales event.

Pogue was later joined by the team behind Auto-Tune the News, which uses Auto-Tune and Apple’s Final Cut software to change news footage of commentators, politicians and celebrities to make it appear as if they’re singing, among other comical edits. A brief remix clip of Steve Jobs at the iPad unveiling made it look like he was dancing as he repeated the phrase “up, down, sideways” while holding the iPad.

Pogue also did a funny bit made up of entries he solicited from readers for fake iPhone apps.

One was iRumor, a kind of Magic 8-Ball app that provides answers to various rumors about Apple that will be familiar to anyone who follows the Apple rumor sites. Shake the iPhone and one of several answers will appear: Yes, No, Maybe, Never, Third Quarter and “Shake, but not so hard.”

iPhone user Scott Squires submitted two apps for people stuck at the DMV or waiting to get through airport security. Grass Grow shows a bunch of grass growing in real time, while the other, Paint Dry — well you get the idea.

Read the rest at Internetnews.